Physical therapist will oversee all training in new position of director of sports performance

As a successful physical therapist at the renowned Athletes' Performance in Los Angeles, Jen Swanson lived a fantasy life for someone in that field.

She lived by the beach. She worked with professional athletes from all sports. Still, something was missing.

"I worked with athletes during their offseason," Swanson said at the Berto Center on Thursday. "So when it came time for their season, they would leave me. You weren't a part of that major side of their career. I wanted to be in the trenches and be a part of it all, win or lose."

Enter the Bulls, who created a new position to hire Swanson in late August as their director of sports performance. Swanson is overseeing the athletic training and strength and conditioning staffs, as well as massage therapists, chiropractic care, nutritional support and other needed auxiliary services.

Given the injury issues the Bulls have experienced in recent seasons, Swanson could be the most important offseason addition beyond a healthy Derrick Rose and Mike Dunleavy.

"We studied things happening within sports and internally where we're at and wanted to be proactive in trying to get our whole group to collaborate and put our guys in the best position possible," general manager Gar Forman said. "Jen's job is to tie everything together from a health standpoint."

A native of Gilroy, Calif., Swanson studied exercise science at UC Davis, where she became an accomplished pole vaulter who considered turning pro. But offered the chance to get her doctorate in physical therapy from Duke and then perform a sports residency at University of Pittsburgh, where she interned with the Steelers, switched her focus back to her childhood goal.

"I wanted to be a sports medicine doctor since I was 10 years old," Swanson said. "But when I did an internship in the field, I realized you only see the individual once every six months or maybe a follow-up in another six months. It wasn't that daily interaction."

She witnessed that first-hand in the training room through some of her own injuries at UC Davis. That theme of teamwork revealed itself again.

It's the same approach Swanson said she will bring to the Bulls, emphasizing she's developing specific programs for each player with input from the "whole sports medicine team here." As for selling those programs, Swanson said the process has been smooth.

"Players have very open in sharing their opinions on things they would like to see changed, things they would like to work on themselves," she said. "I try to look at each athlete as an individual and try to figure out what motivates them and how you can relate to them. Everyone is different."

There even has been good-natured ribbing from players and colleagues, a surefire sign of acceptance in any sports setting.

"We've been joking around whether pole vaulting is a sport within the training room," Swanson said.

The Bulls' injuries of late have been no laughing matter, though. The biggest, of course, was that of Rose, who worked closely with Swanson at Athletes' Performance.

"She has helped me learn to stay on balance and learn the importance of stretching," Rose said. "She's going to help me out a lot."

The Rose connection led to an interview with Bulls' management, which was impressed by her widespread knowledge and contacts in the field.

"Decreasing injuries is obviously the No. 1 goal," Swanson said. "You can break it down to injuries, performance enhancement, injury prevention — all of that is key. But at the end of the day, you want the athletes on the court."

Sounds like another dream job for Swanson.

"I've always loved sports. My life has been centered around them for a very long time," she said. "And I've wanted to work with a team my whole life. That was always my long-term goal. To be able to do that here with the Bulls was a perfect fit."